


Gift of the Magi

by allislaughter



Series: Fluffy February 2021 [23]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Courting Rituals, Fluff, Fluffy February 2021, Gift Giving, M/M, Other, POV Third Person, Present Tense, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:08:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29680278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allislaughter/pseuds/allislaughter
Summary: Deacon enlists Nick Valentine's help to find the best worst gift possible to give his crush on Valentine's Day.
Relationships: Deacon (Fallout)/Original Character(s), Nick Valentine/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Fluffy February 2021 [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138028
Kudos: 3





	Gift of the Magi

**Author's Note:**

> Day 24 of [Fluffy February](https://fluffyfebruary.tumblr.com): Searching for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift
> 
> Once again featuring my original setting characters as seen in [Clue and Cards](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381553), [Snowtime Fun](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29491860), and [The Beach is Cleaner on the Other Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29562513).

He stands under the sign for the Valentine Detective Agency, letting out his breath as he commits to meeting with the good detective for this all too important case. He walks in, waits for the detective to acknowledge him, and then immediately slams his hands on Nick’s desk.

“Deacon!” Nick growls.

“Detective, I need your help,” Deacon announces. “I’m willing to pay any price if you can help me with this case.”

“Sounds urgent,” Ellie jokes. “You better listen to him, Nick.”

Nick rolls his eyes. “What is it?”

“I’m looking for the perfect  _ Valentine’s _ gift.”

Nick stares at him. “Sorry, but I’m happily taken—”

“For Dotty,” Deacon cuts in. “Please. I need to impress them.”

Nick sighs. “Alright. So, you’d know Dotty better than me. What do they like?”

“It doesn’t matter what they  _ like.” _

“...Pardon?”

“Whatever I get them has to be  _ absolute garbage.” _

_ “Pardon?” _

“Not to question your romantic skill,” Ellie says. “But most folks don’t like receiving  _ garbage _ as gifts.”

“No, no, I know.” Deacon shrugs. “Trust me. I need to get some sort of accessory that’s  _ trash. _ Something cheap, maybe broken. Something that screams ‘he didn’t put any effort into this’.”

Nick frowns. “Except you  _ are _ putting effort into this if you’re asking  _ me _ for help.”

_ “Exactly. _ So no one can say I didn’t  _ try _ , without me having to lie about it.”

“...Why?”

Deacon grins. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Why are you trying to get  _ trash _ for them? I thought you liked them.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Deacon says. “I know what I’m doing. Are you going to help me or not?”

“No, I think I—”

“Actually,” Ellie interjects again. “I think I might have the perfect thing.”

Deacon grins as Ellie goes off to the next room and returns again a short while later with a velvet necklace box. “Oh?”

Ellie opens the box to reveal a rusted necklace chain, complete with a pendant made out of an old, uncooked BlamCo noodle.

Deacon laughs.  _ “Oh?” _

“Won it at a carnival last October,” Ellie says. “A consolation prize. I meant to throw it out, but it kept slipping my mind...”

“That’s  _ perfect. _ How much do you want for it?”

“How much do you need to spend to make it seem like you put effort into this gift.”

“Good point.” Deacon pulls out his caps and counts through them. “Here you are.”

Ellie counts the caps as well, nods, and accepts the exchange. “Nice doing business with you. Now  _ I _ can get a good gift for Piper.”

“Nick,” Deacon says as he slips the necklace case into his pocket. “You want to come with me? I would  _ love _ as large an audience as possible for this.”

Nick shakes his head but stands up. “You are trying to  _ prank _ the poor person. I would have expected better than this from you.”

Deacon clicks his tongue and points a finger pistol. “Looks can be deceiving, Nicolas. You got something for Virgil you need to give him?”

“...Yeah, let me get it before we go.”

_ “Perfect.” _

The trip to 152’s vault is  _ mostly _ silent, broken only by Deacon’s proudful grin and humming. Nick eyes him in suspicion the entire time, but soon they arrive at the old, unfinished vault that 152 have made into their base of operation. Deacon takes a moment outside to compose himself as the doors open to let them in.

They find everyone lounging in the common room, and Virgil spots Nick and immediately stands up, picking up a small gift box. “Nick! I was hoping you’d stop by—”

“Virgil,” Nick smiles, pulling out his own gift. “I brought you something.”

“I have something for you too.” Virgil hands Nick his gift, and Nick hands his to Virgil in exchange. Virgil opens his and smiles. “Ooh, a cake! It looks tasty! And so cute.”

Gear looks up. “Cake?”

“It’s your dad’s cake,” Helen says. “Let him have it.”

Nick chuckles and opens his gift. Inside are a pair of pink enamel heart cufflinks. “Oh! Where’d you get these?”

Virgil smiles. “I had Shawn pick them up for me from a supplier— Do you like them?”

“I love them.”

_ “Ahem,” _ Deacon clears his throat from where he’s next to Dotty who is grinning in excitement. “Everyone watching?  _ Perfect.” _ He pulls out the necklace box and holds it out for Dotty. “For you. I paid a pretty cap for this.”

Dotty clears their throat and composes themself, much like Deacon did prior to walking in. They take the necklace box and open it.  _ “Oh,” _ they say, disgust clear in their tone and on their face. “Whatever you paid for this garbage, it was  _ far _ too much.” They sneer. “Tch— Look at that metal. Not even good enough quality to  _ recycle. _ Half corroded and rusted beyond belief. The fact you’d thought a  _ steel _ chain was worth anything to start with... Terrible. And— a piece of  _ macaroni? _ Disgusting! This is the most  _ insulting _ thing you could give someone as a gift! The  _ box _ is worth more than this terrible craftsmanship, and that’s not saying much for something so patchy and  _ smelly.” _ They close the box and shove it against Deacon’s chest. “Take this back. I do  _ not _ want this  _ garbage.” _

Deacon takes the box and sticks it back in his pocket. Everyone else stares, silent and slack-jaw... Dotty breaks into a grin, jumps to their feet, and throws their arms around Deacon’s neck as they kiss him.

“That was  _ perfect,” _ they say. “That was the best worst thing you could give me.” They turn their head, eyes still staring lovingly at Deacon. “Everyone saw that, right? I have witnesses?”

“Yeah?” Zack says. “I think so?”

“Wonderful, Deacon come help me make dinner.”

Deacon laughs and scoops Dotty up in his arms and they laugh as they head to the kitchen.

Nick looks at Virgil for answers. Virgil looks at Shawn. Shawn looks at Helen who looks at Zack who shrugs.

“Bluewing Mountain region courtship,” Gear says without looking up from his reading.

The rest of 152 all nod in immediate understanding. Nick continues to stand there in confusion.

“What?” Nick asks.

“It’s better not to ask,” Virgil says. “Would you like to stay the night? It’s a long walk back to Diamond City.”

“...Yeah, sure, that would be nice.”


End file.
